Cleaning Is Not A Man's Job
by Tsuki no kimi
Summary: He had  no time for dark-haired temptresses in red plaid uniform. Or so he told himself. Genderbend AU, Rimahiko  Rikushiko .


**A/N: I swore I'd never write for this archive again.**

**I also swore that I am a lying cow who doesn't keep promises.**

**This is an AU genderbend — and yes, I came up with the name/idea of Riku Mashiro. Sigh. But that doesn't matter, because nobody gives credit for anything anymore! I mean, nobody even remembers where 'Ri-ri-tan' came from, so just go ahead and rape it all you want! -SHOT-**

**Hello, I am definitely not bitter.**

**Also, this is for Rimahiko FTW, because they are the coolest Facebook Rimahiko fan club evar. It's run by Rikan, so if you have a Facebook, please give it a look-! **

**Um, please enjoy the story **** Yeah, I'm out of writing practice, and the ending is bad but STILL TRY TO ENJOY IT QAQ?**

Tadasa Hotori was the ideal girlfriend; she was cute, she was smart, she was elegant. She may have held a rather tomboyish streak, but she was by far the most popular girl at Seiyo Elementary — unless, of course, you took into factor Nadeshiko Fujisaki.

Who may have been cute, maybe elegant, may have been more of a man than he himself sometimes, but Nadeshiko wasn't his type. He preferred tall, dark, older sisterly-type girls, and Nadeshiko was definitely not like that at _all_. In truth, she was a holy terror. Riku huffed, flipping the page of his notebook and starting on a whole new batch of cubes. It was what he had been doing the whole period; he knew all this stuff, anyway. Square, square. Line. Line. Down an inch. Square, square. Line, line, line, line—

"Mashiro-san, how would you like to volunteer to clean up the classroom today?"

Square, square, line...

"Mashiro? Riku Mashiro?" He heard a high-pitched giggle, and jerked my head up. "I beg forgiveness. Your voice is very soporific. Pardon?" he replied quietly in a deadpan. Speak of the devil. Class-rep goody-goody Nadeshiko Fujisaki was perched at the front of the classroom like a blackbird on the highest branch of a tree, taking down names for some reason.

Nadeshiko tapped the chalkboard, no sign of irritation on her face. "Mashiro-san, thank you so much for joining us! I was asking if you would like to volunteer to clean the classroom today?"

"I'm sure the classroom appreciates your concern over its cleanliness," Riku replied back, attention directed at his notebook full of cubes, "But I'm not free today."

Several girls sighed as he spoke; he had quite the fanclub. Which he was indifferent to. Women would rally around anything that had decent looks nowadays, and Riku could lose them at any minute, so why bother getting attached? Amu was always telling him he should date one of them. "That Fuyuko Kirishima is head over heels for you. Give her a chance!" No thank you, Amu. He preferred nice, docile girls. Why don't _you _date her if you like her so much, Amu? Oh wait, that's because you were still juggling your harem, of which included one male high-schooler.

Speaking of Amu, the boy was staring at the clock and tapping his fingernails against the desk. Tadasa was blowing on her blond bangs, and mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, "_Arguing again_?" After all, the passive-aggressive bickering between Nadeshiko and him was a common occurrence since they had been sorted into the same classroom that year.

Amid the sighs of Nadeshiko fanboys and Riku fangirls, tapping of Amu's fingernails, and the soft drone of the classroom fan, Nadeshiko wrote his name down in neatly spaced characters on the board.

"I don't believe you heard me correctly, Fujisaki-san." Riku started. "I said—"

"I heard you, Riku-kun," Nadeshiko replied sweetly, skating the chalk over the surface. Riku inwardly gritted his teeth. Was he going to be pushed around by a girl? ... Apparently.

There was a deafening scraping of chairs against the linoleum; the bell rang, dismissing class for the day. Before Riku could snatch up his bag and run out the door before anybody caught him, a slender white hand landed on his binder. "Going somewhere?"

"Yes. Home. I'm not able to clean the classroom today, Nadeshiko."

"And why not?" Her fake smile kind of creeped him out. He'd rather a straight face than that sugary smirk. Riku's peaceful expression faltered for the briefest moment. "My mother is picking me up today."

"Can't you just tell her you have something to do after school?" Nadeshiko's voice was soft but dangerous, and he shook his head silently, making his short blond curls flop. The taller girl raised an eyebrow. "Mashiro-kun, you haven't had a turn to clean the classroom yet since you transferred."

"Why don't you just do it yourself?" he hissed, standing up and going head-to-head with her. Their foreheads were nearly touching, and he suddenly felt quite self-conscious of himself—she smelled faintly like something flowery. He was only slightly shorter than her. When the year had began, she had towered over him; now they were nearly equal in height—

So maybe he had a little crush on Nadeshiko. Only a little one. A rather dark and disgusting one, overloaded with a sort of half-obsessive love, half-burning hate and jealousy. He had no time for girls or petty feelings, he had bigger problems; like his parents, like his bitter personality that alienated everyone, like his lack of belief in anyone but himself.

He had no time for dark-haired temptresses in red plaid uniform. Or so he told himself.

"Here." Nadeshiko held out a mop expectantly, dark amber eyes glinting determinedly.

"What on earth _is _that?" Riku replied, just to try and irk her. He knew exactly what it was, of course, but he had never used one himself.

"It's a mop, Mashiro. Learn how to use it. How will you make a good husband if you don't know how to clean a room?"

"By making my wife clean, Fujisaki." He grabbed the mop resentfully, standing there with it rather awkwardly. "Cleaning is not a man's job."

He could have sworn that Nadeshiko gave a derisive snort. "It is now!" Her eyes softened slightly as she looked at him. "Come on, just a few minutes, I swear. I'll help you."

Riku averted his eyes quickly, suddenly finding great interest in the third desk from the back. "Fine."

Some time later, Riku looked up from where he was wiping the board clean; he almost staggered at the time. He was supposed to— god, how was he going to get home—

"Nadesh- Fujisaki, I should be going home," he said meekly, dropping the eraser and rushing over to his bag.

"Oh." Her voice sounded flat suddenly, deflated of it's usual lilt — just a moment ago, she had been humming some song happily to herself, and while Riku had declared several times how irking and annoying it was, he was already starting to feel the silence without the pleasant noise.

"Sorry."

"It's fine," she said stiffly, picking up her own bag. "Good job cleaning the classroom, Mashiro."

"Riku."

Nadeshiko looked up. "I beg your pardon?"

"No need to beg. Riku. Not Mashiro." Riku carelessly slung his bag over his shoulder, hastily trying to continue what he was saying as though it didn't matter. "I hope my parents don't kill me."

"Wh-why should they?" Nadeshiko quietly held the door open for him, and Riku sauntered through, rather used to it.

"Ugh," he said, as a rather inarticulate answer, and he felt Nadeshiko smirking behind him. "Such a spoiled brat. It's probably because you act like a stuck-up Victorian prince, so people automatically assume you're a wealthy _bocchan _and kidnap you."

Nadeshiko stared at his back for a minute, smiling, before seeing him tense suddenly and keep walking.

"Riku?"

"Ugh." He seemed to really like this word.

"Riku, what is it— "

"Nothing," he replied harshly, walking faster; Nadeshiko used her slightly longer legs to run up furiously and grab him by his coat sleeve. "Riku, _what is it_?"

"Don't bother," he said flatly. "It's nothing."

Nadeshiko was silent for a minute, before yanking him around so that he was facing her. "Stop pushing people away, Riku," she said quietly, staring up at him fiercely. "You think that if you're cold enough I'm going to just back off? Stop trying to make people not care. It's too late, can't you see that?"

Riku's eyes widened slightly and his mouth stood agape; it was the only sign he gave of registering what she was saying.

"We all really like you, Riku. You're one of us. You don't have to be this way, because we're all your friends, and we care— so please don't treat me like everyone else..."

It seemed to happen almost naturally; Riku leaned in quietly and kissed Nadeshiko full on the mouth, her hand still clinging to his coat sleeve. It was inappropriate for the situation, in the middle of the hallway, halfway through a lecture, but to Riku it couldn't have been more perfect.

"Riku, wha-" He interrupted her with another kiss, quicker, deeper, desperate for anything to keep her from breaking and insulting him. Prolonging the inevitable.

It's what he did, wasn't it? Why fight when you can take what you want and procrastinate the consequences?

"Riku—"

"I got kidnapped," he said harshly, taking a step back, legs feeling like jelly. "Alright? Why do you think I transferred here?"

Nadeshiko's pupils dilated, her index finger still touching her mouth. "Oh god — I — "

"Don't apologize," he said quietly, turning around, and he almost felt his heart burst at the sound of a particular girl's boots tapping against the linoleum as she followed him at a safe distance. "It's over, isn't it?"

"But—"

"When things are over, you forget about them. As soon as they're done, they're just another stupid thing that piles up behind you."

"Every memory is special, Riku," Nadeshiko replied bitterly. She walked faster, keeping pace with him. "And I'm still sorry, in case you want that apology now."

"I don't."

"Okay." She grabbed his hand. The action wasn't cute, or shy, or quiet; just blunt, just obvious, just —

"And I'm sorry for kissing you," he said, opening the door and leaving the school.

"I didn't mind." Stated so obviously. She had no shame.

"I do."

"Why?" Why was she so infuriating, with all her questions? "Why should you?"

"Kiss," he recited off dully. "A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the body of another. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. A kiss may be used to express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good luck... In other words, it can be called a rather significant step in the relations of two people, particularly ones who are 'friends' as you put it.

You don't kiss your friends."

"So why did you?" Nadeshiko looked up at him, face shining in the glow of a nearby streetlight. The swish of cars could be heard on the distant highway, and Riku's eyes glowed mysteriously as he replied.

"Go and find out, Fujisaki." Nadeshiko could hardly believe her eyes as Riku Mashiro flashed her a dazzling grin and took off down the street.


End file.
